We are on a mission to empower teachers and students to grow their own food right in the classroom! We believe that every student should have the opportunity to learn about food growth and have access to fresh, healthy fruits and vegetables. Find out here how to support this mission and start a food growing project in your school. You'll get all the info, support and the funding you need to get started.

The Idea

Classrooms across Arizona have been using vertical, aeroponic gardens to grow food. This project allows your school to explore food growing in the classroom, educating kids on where food comes from and learning about the nutritional and environmental impacts of different food types. The gardens come equipped with lights for optional indoor growing, a dolly so t...

Classrooms across Arizona have been using vertical, aeroponic gardens to grow food. This project allows your school to explore food growing in the classroom, educating kids on where food comes from and learning about the nutritional and environmental impacts of different food types. The gardens come equipped with lights for optional indoor growing, a dolly so that it can be transported easily, and a cage to support plant growth. Water is housed in the base of the garden and is distributed to the plants through a pump mechanism that runs water to the top of the garden. When the water trickles down from the top of the garden it nourishes roots with mineral inputs. Applying water directly to the roots helps to conserve water and support accelerated plant growth.

The versatility of the garden is what makes it ideal for a classroom setting. The garden can grow indoors or outdoors, it can be moved from place to place, and can grow most fruits, vegetables, and herbs, excluding root crops. All plants grow in a net pot that can be easily removed from the garden frame for educational purposes, or to replace it with a new plant. All the garden requires is water and nutrient inputs every 2-4 weeks, depending on what is being grown and where.

You'll get a step-by-step guide on how to start a food growing project in your school, support from an experienced team at the Arizona Sustainability Alliance and funding to purchase your vertical school garden, seeds and equipment you need to maintain your garden on an ongoing basis. Get Started

How to get involved

Time:
Initial research, assembly and planting will take 4-5 hours. You can then build in the ongoing maintenance and lesson plans to your weekly curriculum in the classroom,

Do you want to give kids in your class the experience of growing their own food? Here you'll find all you need to do that. You can unlock funding to purchase your vertical garden, download lesson plans and resources and get the support of a mentor who has helped schools across Arizona start this project.

5 Steps

Learn more about vertical gardeningPurchase your GardenSet up the GardenStart GrowingOngoing maintenance and harvesting

Who?

A teacher or principalPassionate about giving kids access to fresh, healthy produceWant to give your students the experience of growing food